Auburn Riverside guards commit to D1 schools

By Tom Wyrwich
Seattle Times staff reporter; Seattle Times staff reporter;

Riverside pair commits
Auburn Riverside senior guards Nichole Jackson and Amanda Thomson recently made oral commitments to play basketball at Division I colleges.
Jackson, who was instrumental in Riverside's run to the past two Class 3A state championships, chose Portland State over San Diego State and Pepperdine. Thomson, who transferred this school year from Kentwood, picked Cal State Northridge over Northern Arizona. That makes seven D-1 scholarships for Riverside players over the past four years.
Jackson joins former teammate Stephanie Egwuatu, a 2008 Riverside graduate, at Portland State. She said staying close to him was a factor along with the possibility of immediate playing time.
"It's a team that's up and coming and I feel I can really make an impact there," she said.
Thomson said she likes to Cal State coaching staff and she expects to get plenty of family support there as her father makes frequent business trips to the area and her sister plans to move to the area. She and Jackson both said they were happy to make their college decisions before the season started.
"I just want to focus on my season," Thomson said.